Lansons acquired by Team Farner: D5 Capital advises Lansons on cross-border transaction
LONDON (9th October 2023) – Reputation management firm Lansons today announces it is joining Team Farner, the rapidly expanding European alliance of integrated communication consultancies, as its flagship UK consultancy. The acquisition reflects the success of Lansons since it was founded by Clare Parsons and Tony Langham in 1989 and marks the beginning of a strategy to transform Lansons into a top 10 agency in the UK.
D5 Capital, the specialist media, technology and marketing services corporate finance boutique, advised Lansons throughout the transaction.
Over the last three decades Lansons has built out its consultancy offer across corporate and financial, public affairs, campaigns and creative, crisis and issues, and sustainability advisory. Its clients range from global brands to leaders in professional services, tech, fintech and financial services (client list at lansons.com/our-clients). The deal follows a period of strong growth for Lansons, generating the highest income in the firm’s history in 2022/23. A new CEO, Gordon Tempest-Hay was appointed in January 2022 followed by a series of other strategic hires over the last 18 months including its first executive creative director, a head of research and insight and appointments to boost its social and digital capabilities.
With scaled investment for material growth, the partnership with Team Farner aims to accelerate Lansons through organic growth and by acquisition. The focus is on deepening and enhancing its capabilities to help clients respond to opportunities and challenges against ever more complex environments and growing international needs, and on continuing to attract and retain the best talent long term.
Team Farner is a coming-together of entrepreneurially led businesses all committed to delivering on the strategy of creating the leading European management consultancy for integrated communications, backed by major private equity firm, Waterland. Team Farner currently includes 16 consultancies across Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and now the UK; with France, Spain, Italy, Brussels and others to follow.
Since it was established, Lansons has set out to be a different type of consultancy. Alongside a focus on great work, long-standing client relationships, and bringing together talented people in a great place to work, it has sought to pioneer gender equality, to champion sustainability and to offer a broad breadth of ownership opportunity. At the point of the acquisition, 35 people had a stake in the business with ownership of the business split 57% women and 43% men. This reflects the percentage of women throughout the management of the firm.
Lansons current senior leadership team of Executive chair, Tony Langham; CEO Gordon Tempest-Hay; and joint managing directors Laura Hastings, Rebecca Mayo and Stuart Graham will continue to lead the business. They will all reinvest in and remain equity partners in Team Farner along with 6 senior colleagues (making 11 reinvestors in total). Clare Parsons, who is currently a non-executive director, will continue in her current role.
Commenting on the deal, co-founder Clare Parsons said:
“After 34 years of independence this is a momentous day for us. We are hugely proud of the business that so many exceptional people have helped us create. Our early commitment to long term social and environmental values was progressive and ahead of its time – and continues today.”
Co-founder and Executive Chair Tony Langham said:
“It’s all about our people and our clients and we loved the Team Farner concept because it delivers for both. I’m looking forward to working with our new international colleagues on a host of major reputational briefs, both here in the UK and across Europe.”
Gordon Tempest-Hay, CEO of Lansons said:
“Our partnership with Team Farner will give us the investment firepower to push to be a top-10 player in the UK market. It’s an exciting time for anyone working at Lansons or looking to join with us.”
Roman Geiser, Executive Chairman of Team Farner said:
“With the addition of Lansons, we are entering one of the most important communications markets in Europe and are internationalizing our business. We have known Lansons for many years and greatly appreciate the agency's customer and employee centricity as well as its commitment to quality.”
Following the acquisition of Lansons, Team Farner combines a fee volume of around 120 million euros per year, with 17 partner agencies and over 700 employees across Europe. Further expansion steps are in the pipeline.
ENDS